Basaksehir 2-3 Galatasaray: Sara’s stunning free-kick seals dramatic Super Lig win

Gabriel Sara produced a moment of pure magic deep into stoppage time to snatch a dramatic 3-2 victory for Galatasaray at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium, preserving the visitors’ perfect start to the Super Lig season.

The champions had looked in control early on when Victor Osimhen opened the scoring in the 16th minute. Collecting a clever pass from Lucas Torreira just outside the area, the Nigerian striker drove a low, powerful finish beyond the reach of the home goalkeeper to give Okan Buruk’s side a deserved lead. Osimhen’s afternoon was cut short, however, when he limped off with an injury just after the half-hour mark, replaced by Baris Alper Yilmaz.

Basaksehir, managed by Nuri Sahin, struggled to create clear chances in the first half but grew in belief after the break. Their persistence was rewarded in the 66th minute when Roland Sallai was penalised for a foul on Abbosbek Fayzullaev inside the box. Eldor Shomurodov stepped up and coolly converted the resulting penalty to restore parity.

Galatasaray responded almost immediately. Five minutes later Torreira restored the lead, finishing neatly after a neat one-two involving Ismail Jakobs and Baris Alper Yilmaz. The lead lasted only until the 76th minute, when Davinson Sanchez diverted the ball into his own net under pressure, making it 2-2 and setting up a frantic final quarter.

The hosts’ task became even harder three minutes later when substitute Umut Bozok was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Rafael Leao. Reduced to ten men, Basaksehir dug in, and Galatasaray thought they had sealed the points when Sanchez headed home from a free-kick, only for VAR to rule the effort out for offside.

With seven minutes of added time signalled, the stage was set for late drama. In the first of those additional minutes, Gabriel Sara stepped up to a free-kick on the edge of the area and curled an unstoppable effort into the top corner, sparking wild celebrations among the travelling support. The Brazilian midfielder’s stunning strike proved decisive, securing three points that keep Galatasaray top of the table with ten points from four matches. Basaksehir remain mid-table on four points after a spirited but ultimately fruitless display.